Hole and corrosion found in containment at Turkey Point reactor

Workers at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant in South Florida have discovered a rusty quarter-sized hole in the steel liner of  the containment of one of the two reactors there along with a 30-inch section of corrosion. The hole and corrosion were found during a refueling shutdown. Turkey Point is now the fourth reactor to have discovered a containment liner hole in the last two years but the problem is feared to be widespread within the aging U.S. reactor fleet. According to Arnie Gundersen, a Vermont-based nuclear engineer and consultant who produced a report detailing holes and cracks at half a dozen U.S. reactors, a hole such as that found at Turkey Point could allow enough radiation to escape to threaten public safety.


Gas lines pose safety risk at Indian Point nuke

Natural gas pipelines running close to the Indian Point nuclear power plant pose a threat with potentially catastrophic consequences, according to Paul Blanch, an independent energy consultant. The pipelines pose what Blanch described as "a low probability" event but with "unimaginable" consequences if there should be an explosion causing a fire. Such an event is well within the bounds of possibility since it already occurred in San Bruno, CA where a large gas line exploded killing eight people and destroying 37 homes. Blanch has filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission  that questions whether the NRC has properly studied the effects of an explosion of the lines or planned for such an accident.